Tube holder and contactor for electrical and vibration tests of sub-miniature radio tubes



March 7, 1961 'r. J. HAVILAND 2,974,275

TUBE HOLDER AND CONTACTOR FOR ELECTRICAL AND VIBRATION TESTS OF SUB-MINIATURE RADIO TUBES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 5, 1952 l @[2 M II I I in! H ii. I],

INVENTOR.

/ III/IIIIIIIII/IIIIIIII/IIIIIIII I I ATTORNEYS [f "y "AV/LAND March 7, 1961 T. J. HAVILAND 7 TUBE HOLDER AND CONTACTOR FOR ELECTRICAL AND VIBRATION TESTS OF SUB-MINIATURE RADIO TUBES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 5, 1952 FIG. 9.

THOMAS J. HAV/LA/VD INVENTOR.

BY zflfifiw Q/EHW ATTORNEYS HAVILAND March 7, 1961 2,974,275 RATION 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 T. J. TUBE HOLDER AND CONTACTO TESTS OF SUB R FOR ELECTRICAL AND VIB MINIATURE RADIO TUBES Filed March 5. 1952 IWII WWII! mum iii llli if!) FIG. 8.

FIG. 7.

THOMAS J. HAV/LA/VD INVENTOR.

BY LQ (9 3;

CQ/BWW' ATTOR/VEXS n e state P w TUBE HOLDER CoNTAGTORYFtiR-ELE T I- CAL AND VIBRATION TESTS OF SUB-MINIA- TURE RADIO TUBES I, I

Thomas l Ha'viland, Brookeville,fMd., assignor to the United States of America 'a'srepre'sented by the Secretary of the Navy Fnea'Mar. "s, 1952, ser. No."27s,o0s

13 Claims. (Cl. 324- 20) invention relates generally to an electron tube holder. -More specifically, the invention relates to an inrproved tube holder-which is rnore particularly adapted for testing'sub-miniature elctrontubes. j A With the increased use of sub-miniature electron tubes irr the telemetering system installed on remotely controlledtest vehicles, it was discovered thatvibration of the vehicle in flight caused many failures inthe telemeter-' ing system. Asa consequence, it becanieneessary to check each'systeni by assassin shaking table bef rein: stallatior'i in theitestvehicle. 'Oftenit was de rrn'ned that failure of: thesystein' occurred. only i'n'the sub minia-t' ture electron tubes utilized in the system, and that testing of the entire system wasnot necessary if some r'nean's 'fo r vibration testing the sub-miniature tubes :bi1ld-" be -de- Veloped. I It is, therefore, one object -of the presentinvention to provide a tube h older for facilitatingthe easy and quick testingxof sub niniatur'e"electron'tubs as toth'eir mechanical characteristics.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means for testing sub-miniature election "t'u'be's :with 'r'egard to their mechanical characteristics without damaging the tube being tested.

IAnd another object of this invention is to provide *a,

tube holder which permits quick change of electron tubes being tested, and one wherebythe tubescan be .rnechanically isolated from the rest of the circuit and electrically connected by flexible shielded leads. .In accordancewith a preferred embodiment of the invention, the tube. holder comprises a base plate, a tube clamp mounted on "the tached to bas e plate 13 by screws 28.

2374,2751 f H Patented; Mar.

2 a Fig. '8 is 'a cross-section f the modified tube, holder taken through planes-8 of Fig. 5; and Fig. 9 is a top view of the tubeholder shown in Fig. 5.. Referring now more specifically to Fig. l, the reference numeral 10 indicates a'portion of a tabletopor amechanical shaker upon'which the invention is mounted. This table top or mechanical shaker 10 is attached to a. base 11 by means of screws 12.

The invention comprises a base plate 13, which is at tached tothe table top 1 0 by screws 14, and which sup ports a tube mount 15 that is made of insulating material,

such as Bakelite, and that, as is best shown in Fig. 2,,

has a removable top 16. Top 16 is secur ed to tubemount 15 by screwelements 17 Tube clamp 15 serves to support a sub-miniature electrontube 18 having a plurality i of electrode leads'20 projecting from its base and extend:

ing through a like number of holes '24 cutin the face of a; T.-shaped terminal block 26 that is also 'mounted on base.

plate 13. Tube mount -15 andterminal;block'2i6 are secu ed o et y sc ZZI ZdJ i rr e at Rem e msun e nnii e s T-shaped blockrafi a c amp 3 fWh h .hasit cla p s'i 3 f d. i h an: in u a m t r a a d wh h e a el c od ads 20 against a like number of terminalstrips 32 fixed to; opposite faces of block 2 6. The terminal strips 32 are aligned with the holes '24 and are connected through a. rnulti-conductor cable 34 to a powersupply source .and; the "electron'tube input and output circuits. Clamping jaws S'Iand terminal strips 32am secured to cl-ampi3t) I V t and block 26 by screws 36 and 3-7 respectively.

In operation, top 16 isloosened and clamp 3,0 is removed adn a tube 18 placed in clamp 15 with its elec-, trode leads'20 insertedthrough holes 24 and confnqnting. terminal strips 32. Clamp 30 is then replaced,;and-the electrode leads 20. arefirrnly held against "the terminal strips.3 2. The tube 18 can;then be placed inoperation andteste i H .7 i, A'modified form of the invention is illu stratedinFigs.

, 5, 6, 7, Sand 9.- Fig.5 which shows asub-rn'intiature i stw tu c a p. 40, vin mm etop 9 gap 42+ ,attachedthereto by screws 43, and an elongated T-shaped terminal'block 46 mounted on a common basepla't e' 48. 1 in Tube clamp 40 and terminal block 46 are secured to I base plate 48 by screws 49. Shown mounted in clamp 40 base plate, a terminal block, a second block, and a re In a second embodiment of the invention, a cam actuator (is used instead of a spring clamp. These arrangements thus provide quick, rugged connect and disconnect devices for, testing sub-miniature electronltubes.

the T-shaped terminal block 46.

. Other'objects and many'of the attendant advantages of r this invention will be appreciated'readily as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when considered in. connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: i Fig. 1 is a top View of a sub-miniature tube holder con structed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of'the tube holder shown in Fig. 6 is a cross section on the plane 66 of .Fig. 5,. and showing the tube holder in one of'its operative positions. Y

Fig.7 is a cross-section on-the plane 6 ;6 of Fig. 5

is a sub-miniature electron tube50 having a plurality of V '7 electrode leads 52 inserted in an equal number ot' holes 54 formed in terminal block 46. The electrode l ad Y project through the terminalfblock 46 and confrontaj. plurality of terminal strips 5-6 mounted on the stem of ,1

Normally confronting terminal strips 56 is a set off contactorstrips 57 which are mounted .on a pair of in'- sulator plates58 by screws 59. Strips 56 are connected by an equal number of leads 60 to binding posts 61 which i have power supply, input and output leads connectedf showing the tubeholder in its second operative position. a;

.in base 48, corresponding opposite endsof plates 58beingheld in operative association by a bias. spring 64. Spring .57 away from ter'r ninal strips 56- A camactuator 66 is bracket-arrangement 69, which is attached "tqtermina' l thereto. 7 1 I 1 .7

The insulator plates 58 are separately "pivoted atkiorresponding ends on a pair of shafts 62 that are mountedv 64 is attached to plates 58 by screws 65. .Asis best seen] i in Fig. 6, bias spring 64 normally urges contactor strips mounted between the ends o f the plates 58 and near thespring 64, and is rotatable for swinging the cont actor strips 57 into'engagement with the leads "52. Thecamfix actuator 66 is mounted in the base plate 48 "andcarries Z a knob 68 at its upper end. Knob 68 is supported-.byiai,

block 46 and knob 68 :by screws 70 and 71.: Suitable ator 66. i

As is best shown in Fig. 7, when cam actuator 66 is turned so that its fiat faces are parallel to the plane s of insulator plates 58, contactor strips 57 are lifted off of the electrode leads 52 by the bias spring 64, and'th'e circuits to the tube under test are broken, and tube 50 may be withdrawn, upon loosening or removal of cap 42. Upon turning knob 68 through an angle of 90", as shown in Fig. 6, bias spring 54 is stretched, and strips 57 are closed on the electrode leads 52.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A connect-disconnect arrangement for testing an electron tube, comprising, a base plate, clamping support means mounted thereon for supporting said electron tube, a terminal block for receiving the electrode leads of said electron tube, said tube being mechanically isolated from terminal block and clamping means for holding said electrode leads of said tube against terminal strips for a multi-conductor cable.

2. An arrangement as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for holding said electrode leads against said terminal strips of said multi-conductor cable comprises a removable spring clamp. r a

3. An arrangement as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for holding said electrode leads against said terminal strips of said multi-conductor cable comprises fingers operated by a cam actuator.

4. A connect-disconnect arrangement for testing an means for holding said electrode leads against said termil 4 nal strips comprises a removable clamp having its clamping jaws mounted one each on either side of the stem of said terminal block, 1

7. An arrangement as set forth in claim 6, wherein said terminal strips are mounted on the opposite sides of said terminal block. I

l 8. An arrangement as set forth in claim 7, wherein the clamping jaws of said clamp are faced with an insulating material.

9. A connect-disconnect electron tube testing device, comprising, a base plate, clamping means mounted thereon for supporting said electron tube, a T-shaped terminal block also mounted on said support plate, said terminal block having a plurality of apertures therein through which extend the electrode leads of said electron tube, said terminal block having a plurality of terminal strips mounted on the stem thereof, insulating plate means having a plurality of contactor strips mounted thereon so as to contact said terminal strips, said contactor strips being connected by an equal number of leads to binding posts which have power supply, input and output leads connected thereto, and means for connecting and disconnecting said contactor strips to and from said terminal strips.

10. An arrangement as set forth in claim 9, wherein said insulating plate means comprise at least two pivotally mounted plates.

11. An arrangement as set forth in claim 10, wherein said means for, connecting and disconnecting said contactor strips to and from said terminal strips comprises fingers operated by a cam actuator mounted between said pivotally mounted plates.

12. An arrangement as set forth in claim 11, and

means for normally keeping said contactor strips from contacting said terminal strips.

13. An arrangement as set forth in claim 12, wherein said last mentioned means comprises a spring having its ends connected to said plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

